Guus Hiddink to Visit N.Korea

Guus Hiddink, the former manager of the South Korean national football team, may visit North Korea.

A Unification Ministry official on Friday said Hiddink last month said he would like to see North Korea and asked about the procedure if he was to cross the land border. He has not yet made an official application.

The goal of Hiddink's visit is to promote sports exchanges with North Korea including building a futsal field and holding futsal matches in the North.

Hiddink has built several futsal fields in South Korea through the Guus Hiddink Foundation.

Since he is not a South Korean citizen, he does not need authorization from the South Korean government to visit North Korea through China, but approval by the South Korean government is required if he intends to cross the border from South Korea.

The ministry official said Hiddink did not offer a detailed schedule. "The government's policy is to allow social and cultural exchanges with North Korea, so once we receive the application, we'll review and approve it," the official added.